What Was That

[Wander00]

Watching South news this morning on BBC, they show two service people near Fort Southwick, Eisenhower's D-Day HQ. RAF SNCO was carrying what looked like a rifle, but painted red/orange. Almost looked like a plastic toy. Can anyone please explain.

[airborne_artist]

Fort Southwick and Southwick House (ex HMS Dryad) are not the same place. Fort Southwick was part of ASWE and is now in private ownership, while Southwick House is now the tri-service school for barrier raisers.

[skyguard]

"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm"

Your comments do injustice to these men mentioned below,


"Marking the support and sacrifice of the RAF Police who serve on the front line alongside their coalition colleagues, ACM Dalton also met with the family of Corporal Brent McCarthy RAFP, who was killed in action in Helmand province on 12 May 2012 whilst working as part of an Afghan Police."

Corporal Mick McConnell, an RAF Police dog handler who during a routine patrol with a Royal Marine Patrol in Afghanistan was caught in an IED blast and seriously injured. Sadly, he is now waiting for an operation to amputate his damaged leg below the left knee.

Corporal Gareth Hughes RAF Police, was on a routine night patrol with Afghan National Police teams deployed on Operation PANTHER'S CLAW in the Lashkar Gah area of Afghanistan when Taliban insurgents opened fire, hitting the RAF man in the abdomen. He survived.

All Barrier Raisers? Indeed. You are so out of touch.

[airborne_artist]

I think you may be unaware of the concept of banter, Skyguard.

[skyguard]

I don't think so.

[Blacksheep]

Its just banter. We have always recognised that as fellow members of the Royal Air Force they were several cuts above mere civilians.

. . . he is now waiting for an operation to amputate his damaged leg below the left knee.Unless there are sound medical reasons for the delay that's outrageous. No wounded serviceman should ever have to wait for medical treatment, he should be at the top of the list.

[500N]

Blacksheep

His name jogged a memory so I looked it up again.

Not saying who is right or wrong (although I agree with your sentiments),
he has now chosen after 2 years to have his foot taken off.

More info and video here.

Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund - Corporal Mick McConnell (http://www.rafbf.org/71-3312/corporal-mick-mcconnell.html)

[skyguard]

I have 38 years experience of Banter. 2 years of which were over the water and 2 months in Baghdad April/ May 2003 with 75th XTF. So I am well acquainted with the concept of banter.

Blacksheep, In 2011 Mick was on patrol in Afghanistan searching for IED’s when his dog Memphis momentarily left his side and Mick stepped on a mine. Even though the IED only partially exploded, it caused irreversible damage.

I copied this from RAFB Fund site.

“There was a massive bang and I fell on my left side,”

Although I was screaming in agony, my first thought was to feel for any major bleeding and see if my arms and legs were still there. As I was dragged to safety, I heard Memphis barking – it’s the first time I’d ever heard him bark.

Mick’s left foot had been shattered in the explosion and back in England he spent a month recovering in hospital with five-inch pins keeping his foot together.Despite almost two years of rehabilitation, he is still on medication and last year took the decision to have his foot amputated.

[melmothtw]

Unless there are sound medical reasons for the delay that's outrageous. No
wounded serviceman should ever have to wait for medical treatment, he should be at the top of the list.


Disagree. It's the same mindset that say killers of policemen should get the death sentence, while the sentence need not be so harsh for the killers of the rest of us 'mere' civilians.

We all choose our own paths in life, and shouldn't expect preferential treatment based on those choices. Not an attack on the armed forces or the police, I just don't think their life is any more important than mine.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

If we watch for long enough, will we get to know what the red/orange plasticy, looks like rifle thingy was?

[skyguard]

Is this it? If it is they may use them for drill as they are cheaper to produce.





http://http://www.justbbguns.co.uk/images/productphotos/96515741.jpg

[clicker]

If it is an orange BB gun it I can almost hear the decision made.

"Well we can't shoot the intruders so we had better issue orange BB guns so they are aware they won't come to any harm. We can't let them believe they could be killed for entering a restricted area it just not right."

[500N]

It was probably an ASP SA80 Training Rifle which is Red / Orange and made of plastic.

ASP make virtually every type of Police and Military firearm in a Red / Orange plastic.

Another company used to make them in Blue Plastic and were know as Blue Guns.

It makes it a hell of a lot easier to train soldiers in some environments
because they are still carrying a "weapon" but a lot less time is spent
cleaning them at the end of the day and also a lot less "wear and tear"
and damage of the real firearm or sights occur for no real reason.

Security of weapons also becomes less of an issue.


Edit
Here is a link to them / it - 5th Picture of the set of photos in a row.
ASP Red Training Instruction Replica Gun / Firearms 07324, 07404, 07409, 57451, 07458, 07343, 07301, 07303, 07304, 07305, 07306, 07308, 07309, 07310, 07312, 07313, 07314, 07315, 07316, 07317, 07318, 07320, 07321, 07323, 07325, 07326, 07327, 07328, 07 (http://www.opticsplanet.com/asp-tactical-red-training-instruction-replica-guns-firearms.html)

[Wander00]

Skyguard - thanks - that looks like the thing - must say it looks a bit odd though

[TEEEJ]

Just a training rifle carried by the RAFP Corporal. See from 24 mins at following link.

BBC iPlayer - South Today: 28/01/2014 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b03sgby4/)

[P6 Driver]

I was thinking about chipping in with some banter, but I fear someone might not understand...
:ugh:

[Wander00]

K, many thanks now I know, let's not waste any more time. Most grateful to all. please excuse my ignorance.